


Touch You, Hold You, Kiss You

by misura



Category: Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Bathing/Washing, M/M, Pre-Slash, Season/Series 01, Twisted and Fluffy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-13
Updated: 2011-12-13
Packaged: 2017-10-27 22:56:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/300957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misura/pseuds/misura
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>If Shane Walsh had been the type of person to make a list of Things To Do Before the End of the World or My Death (Whichever Comes Soonest), there would have been only one thing on that list, and it would have been a name:</i></p><p><i>Rick Grimes</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Touch You, Hold You, Kiss You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [crysgen78](https://archiveofourown.org/users/crysgen78/gifts).



If Shane Walsh had been the type of person who'd made a list of Things To Do Before the End of the World or My Death (Whichever Comes Soonest), there would have been only one thing on that list, and it would have been a name:

 _Rick Grimes_

So it sort of just figured, didn't it, that when the world did end (by any definition of the word), Rick was dead, leaving it to Shane to play the hero for once, get Rick's family to safety, all that stuff.

Making those sorts of lists was just tempting fate, really.

(Even if, in the end, Rick got back from the dead, apparently none the worse for wear, just when Shane had decided that, for lack of a Rick, he might settle for Rick's wife (assumed widow) instead.)

 

For all that Rick talked a good talk about how he owed Shane and would never be able to repay the debt, Shane knew that Rick didn't really mean that. Or rather: Rick meant it (of course he meant it; Rick was only familiar with insincerity as something displayed by other people), but he meant it in a limited sort of way. What Rick was saying wasn't that Shane could name his reward for a job well done - what Rick was saying was that, basically, he was grateful.

Shane knew he should probably be satisfied with that. He'd always convinced himself to be satisfied with whatever Rick spared him before - gratefulness, a smile, a slap on the shoulder.

Of course, 'before' had been a time when he could tell himself there'd be a lot of time to work things out, to turn that smile into a kiss, that slap on the shoulder into something a little lower and little more grabby. Things were different now.

Rick, naturally, hardly seemed to have changed at all, aside from the way he seemed a bit less smoothly shaved nowadays, which was just fine with Shane, really. It looked good on Rick.

 

"Need someone to scrub your back?"

Shane wasn't entirely sure where Lori was (all right, he did know; even if Rick was running things now, as he should, Shane still liked to keep an eye on things) but she clearly wasn't with Rick, and so, it seemed, an opportunity had been provided.

It wouldn't be the first time he'd seen Rick half-naked - they were partners, and neither of them was particularly shy or had anything to be ashamed of; it happened sometimes. On the other hand, the last time had certainly been a while, and the _actual_ last time had been when he'd thought Rick was dead.

Better, Shane figured, to replace that memory with something nice.

Rick didn't seem to think there was anything strange about the offer. "Think I can manage, thanks." Of course, there wasn't anything strange about the offer; friends could scrub one another's backs.

"Not like I got anything better to do," Shane said.

Rick shrugged. It wasn't quite the same as an enthusiastic 'yes, please', but Shane hadn't been expecting one of those, anyway.

 

"Looks like you lost some weight."

Shane had seen it in the hospital already, naturally. Seen it happen, in fact; the way Rick would look a little thinner, a bit closer to death with every day that passed. He'd promised himself he'd stop going nearly every day, but then, the next day, he'd always go again. Rick would have done the same for him, he knew - except that Rick, being Rick, would probably also have found a way to wake him up.

"New diet must be working."

Shane snorted. Rick had done a number of things Shane would have called 'moronic' if it'd been anyone but Rick doing them, but dieting had never been one of them. Eating healthy, yes, for a while - starving himself for no reason, no.

Skinny or not, it still felt good to put his hands on Rick. Might not be a lot of meat there, but with Rick, it had never been about the physical stuff, anyway. If it'd been, Shane'd have gone out of his mind years ago. Probably have shot himself, or Rick.

"You actually got soap?"

"That we do." Shane chuckled. "Dale brought some of the good stuff, and we got some other, not so good stuff from, well, other places." Places Glenn had found, mostly. The kid was a God-sent, really he was, even if Shane never again wanted to spend another day smelling like roses, thanks to a rather smudged label on a box of soap.

Rick nodded. He looked, Shane decided, a bit tired - or worn out, really. It was still light out, so it couldn't be that late yet, but then again, being a hero probably took a lot out of you.

"You gonna fall asleep on me?" It wouldn't be so bad, Shane thought - at Rick's current weight, Shane should be able to keep him from drowning easily enough. Shouldn't even be a problem to get him back to the camp, tuck him in nice and sweet. Give him a goodnight kiss, maybe; not as if Rick'd notice.

"Sorry," Rick said and yawned. "Long day."

"Hey, man, it's fine. Just lean on me. It's what I'm here for."

Rick smiled, eyes closed. "Thought it was to scrub my back."

"That, too."

 

Rick's uniform still fitted him pretty well - surprisingly well, actually, Shane thought, as he folded it neatly in a way he'd never folded his own. Granted, the belt assisted keeping the pants up, but even so.

Helped, probably, that Rick'd been more muscle than fat to begin with. Had to feel pretty good, Shane figured, to get that body in bed - no soft curves, just lean, hard muscle. Strength.

Rick's hat, Shane decided, deserved a special place of honor - one within easy reach for Rick, but also one where it wouldn't run any risk of getting wet or (worse) stepped on in the dark of night.

Before he left the tent, Shane paused. Went back to pull up the blankets covering Rick just a little bit extra, to make sure he wouldn't catch a cold or something - soap, they might have, but medicines were in rather short supply and besides, Rick would have better things to do than get sick.

The sensation of Rick's stubble made his lips tingle.


End file.
